Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PRETREATMENT CUP
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pretreatment cup for encouraging
pretreating of fabric stains
with a liquid detergent composition.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many of today's liquid laundry detergent compositions are formulated to
deliver superior
removal of grease, soils, and other stains. However, many customers still
prefer to use specialist
pretreat compositions, even though liquid laundry detergent compositions are
often formulated
for pretreating stains.
A big cause for this customer behaviour is that dosing devices, typically sold
with liquid laundry
detergent compositions, are less than satisfactory for use in pretreating,
except for on light and
non-greasy stains. They are often also not intuitive to use, with many
customers not even being
aware that they can be used for effectively pretreating stains.
As a result, customers often either do not pretreat, or prefer to buy
specialist pretreaters for
removing stains, particularly for tough stains such as grease, ink, lipstick,
and the like. This is
regardless of the fact that many current liquid laundry detergent compositions
contain surfactants,
enzymes, soil release polymers and other stain removing actives. In addition,
such liquid laundry
detergent compositions are more effective in removing stains when applied
neat, since the
concentration of actives on the stain is much greater. Therefore, encouraging
customers to
pretreat results in better stain removal, and hence in customers being more
satisfied with their
liquid laundry detergent composition.
Therefore, a need remains for a pretreating device, wherein the customer is
intuitively guided to
use the pretreatment device for pretreating stains with a liquid laundry
detergent composition.
US 5,549,209 discloses a closure for a liquid laundry detergent container
having an integrated
brush, US 5,388,298 discloses a dispenser with an integrated scrubbing surface
and pretreat
nozzle, US 4,767,034 discloses a cap to a spray bottle having an integrated
scrubber. US
6,874,190 discloses a hand-held container for washing laundry. US 5,181,630
discloses a cap
having a pouring spout. GB 2 168 931 discloses a cap having an applicator.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pretreatment cup (10) comprising: a base
comprising an
exterior base surface (50); a wall comprising an exterior wall surface (60);
and an opening (40)
circumscribed by a rim (170), wherein the opening is at least partially
opposite the base; wherein:
the exterior base surface (50) is connected to the exterior wall surface (60)
at an exterior
periphery (70); a surface selected from the group consisting of: the exterior
base surface (50), the
exterior wall surface (60), and mixtures thereof, comprises a pretreating
region selected from the
group consisting of: a spreading region (80), a scrubbing region (110), and
mixtures thereof;
characterized in that: the pretreating region is differentiated from at least
part of the remaining
combined area of the exterior base surface (50) and the exterior wall surface
(60) by: a difference
in material, colour, translucency, surface texture, a line, and mixtures
thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 illustrates a transparent pretreatment cup (10), comprising an opaque
scrubbing region
(110), with the exterior base surface (50) oriented towards the top.
Figure 2 illustrates an opaque pretreatment cup (10), comprising an opaque
scrubbing region
(110) and an opaque spreading region (80), with the scrubbing region (110) and
spreading region
(80) differentiated from the rest of the exterior wall surface (60) by a
translucent region in the
form of a line.
Figure 3 illustrates an opaque pretreatment cup (10), comprising an opaque
scrubbing region
(110) and an opaque spreading region (80), with the scrubbing region (110) and
spreading region
(80) differentiated from the rest of the exterior wall surface (60) by a
transparent region which
encompasses the front of the pretreatment cup (10), including the spout (130).
Figure 4 illustrates an opaque pretreatment cup (10), comprising an opaque
spreading region
(80), with the spreading region (80) differentiated from the rest of the
exterior base surface (50)
and exterior wall surface (60) by a difference in surface texture.
Figure 5a illustrates a top view exemplifying a spreading region (80)
comprising spreading
protrusions (90) in the form of straight lines, radiating from a central point
(100), which is
located at the centre of the spreading region (80).
Figure 5b illustrates a side view exemplifying the spreading region (80), of
figure 3a.
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Figure 6 illustrates a top view exemplifying a spreading region (80)
comprising spreading
protrusions (90) in the form of dots, radiating from a central point (100),
which is located at the
centre of the spreading region (80).
Figure 7 illustrates an opaque pretreatment cup (10), comprising an opaque
scrubbing region
(110), with the scrubbing region (110) differentiated from the rest of the
exterior base surface
(50) and exterior wall surface (60) by a difference in surface texture,
further comprising a baffle
(180) which divides the opening into a fill opening (42) and a spout opening
(44).
Figure 8 illustrates a container cup (300) comprising a circular attachment
channel (320) on the
cup exterior top surface (310).
Figure 9 illustrates an opaque pretreatment cup (10), comprising an opaque
scrubbing region
(110), with the scrubbing region (110) differentiated from the rest of the
exterior base surface
(50) and exterior wall surface (60) by a line having a different colour,
further comprising a ring-
shaped attachment protrusion (200).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
It has been discovered that a differentiation of a pretreatment region
selected from the group
consisting of: a spreading region (80), a scrubbing region (110), and mixtures
thereof, from at
least part of the remaining outer surface of a pretreatment cup (10), leads to
the customer being
intuitively guided to correctly use the pretreatment cup (10) for pretreating
fabric stains.
When referring to a pretreatment cup, all percentages, ratios and proportions
used herein are by
weight percent of the pretreatment cup, unless otherwise specified. When
referring to a liquid
detergent composition, all percentages, ratios and proportions used herein are
by weight percent
of the liquid detergent composition, unless otherwise specified. The term
"dose", unless
indicated otherwise, is defined as a measured amount of liquid to be delivered
from a container,
cup, or other suitable device. Preferably, the dose is measured using the
pretreatment cup.
The pretreatment cup:
The pretreatment cup (10) comprises a base, an exterior wall, and an opening
(40) that is
circumscribed by a rim (170). The opening (40) is at least partially opposite
the base. The outer
surface of the pretreatment cup is made up of an exterior base surface (50)
connected to an
exterior wall surface (60) at an exterior periphery (70). The pretreatment cup
(10) may also
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comprise an interior base surface (140) and an interior wall surface (150),
preferably at least
partially connected together at an interior periphery. The pretreatment cup
(10) also comprises a
pretreatment region selected from the group consisting of: a spreading region
(80), a scrubbing
region (110), and mixtures thereof. Such a pretreatment cup is exemplified in
figures 1 to 4, and
figures 7 and 9.
The pretreatment cup (10) can be any suitable size. For stability, the base
will typically have an
area of from 300 mm2 to 8,000 mm2, preferably from 900 mm2 to 5,600 mm2, most
preferably
from 1,900 mm2 to 3,800 mm2. As such, the width of the base will typically
range from 20mm to
100 mm, preferably 35 mm to 85 mm, most preferably from 50 mm to 70 mm. For
easy filling,
the opening (40) will typically have an area of from 700 mm2 to 9,500 mm2,
preferably from
1,500 mm2 to 7,000 mm2, most preferably from 2,500 mm2 to 5,000 mm2. As such,
the width of
the opening (40) will typically range from 30mm to 110 mm, preferably 45 mm to
95 mm, most
preferably from 60 mm to 80 mm. The wall will typically have a height from 20
mm to 85 mm,
preferably from 35 mm to 70 mm.
The exterior base surface (50) can be connected to the exterior wall surface
(60) at the exterior
periphery (70) at any angle, including 90 . Additionally, the exterior
periphery (70) preferably
comprises a curvature from the exterior base surface (50) to the exterior wall
surface (60).
Preferably, the radius of curvature at the exterior periphery (70) is from 2
mm to 35 mm, more
preferably from 3.5 mm to 25 mm, most preferably from 5 mm to 15 mm. A
curvature is
particularly preferred if the pretreatment cup (10) comprises a scrubbing
region (110) that is at
least partially located at the exterior periphery (70).
The base, the wall, or both the base and the wall of the pretreatment cup (10)
can be a single
layer of material, such as high density polyethylene or polypropylene, a
multilayered material, or
any other material having sufficient structural integrity to be used as a
pretreatment cup (10), and
preferably also as a dosing device for dosing the liquid detergent composition
into a washing
machine. Preferably, the base, the wall, or both the base and the wall of the
pretreatment cup (10)
comprise polypropylene, for improved resistance to wear during pretreating and
during wash
cycles.
The exterior base surface (50) can provide a surface arrangement that can be
stably set upon
another surface that is substantially flat as measured on a scale of
centimetres, such as a table or a
flat portion of a washing machine or dryer. In a preferred embodiment, the
exterior base surface
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(50) can be essentially flat, or have a slight curvature, such that the cup
(10) can be stably placed
on a flat surface. With such a configuration, when liquid detergent
composition is poured into the
pretreatment cup (10), the cup (10) will not easily tip over as detergent
composition is poured
into the pretreatment cup (10).
The pretreatment cup (10) can be provided with one or more indicia. The
indicia are preferably
located on a surface selected from the group consisting of: the interior wall
surface (150), the
exterior wall surface (60), and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the interior
wall surface (150) is
provided with one or more interior indicia (152). It is particularly preferred
that the exterior wall
surface (60) is provided with one or more exterior indicia (62), when at least
part of the wall is
translucent or transparent. To facilitate easier measuring, both the interior
wall surface (150) and
exterior wall surface (60) can be provided with indicia. The indicia can be an
etch, a depression,
a raised portion, printing, or any other structure that is observable by the
user.
The indicia can indicate the recommended dosage of liquid detergent
composition to be poured
into the pretreatment cup. Preferably, the indicia indicate the recommended
dosages for a usage
selected from the group consisting of: stain pretreating, average duty wash
conditions, light duty
wash conditions, heavy duty wash conditions, and mixtures thereof. Light duty
wash conditions,
typically consist of lightly soiled loads and low water hardness (from 50 mg/1
to 125 mg/1 of
CaCO3). Average duty wash conditions typically consist of moderately soiled
loads and average
water hardness (from 126 mg/1 to 250 mg/1 of CaCO3). Heavy duty wash
conditions typically
consist of heavily soiled loads and high water hardness (greater than 250 mg/1
of CaCO3).
The pretreatment cup can also comprise a means for attachment to a liquid
detergent composition
container, preferably to the container cup. Suitable means include a clip, a
screw thread, or a
push-fit mechanism. In one embodiment, the interior base surface (140) of the
pretreatment cup
(10) comprises the first part of an attachment system, and the cup exterior
top surface (310) of a
cup (300), comprises a second part of an attachment system, wherein said
attachment system
comprises a cooperating attachment protrusion (200) and attachment channel
(320).
Alternatively, the pretreatment cup may also engage with a bottle to form a
seal to close the
container, hence forming a cup for the container.
The pretreatment cup may also comprise a spout (130), located on the rim
(170). Preferably, the
spout (130) is located vertically in line with the scrubbing region (110), if
present, to make it
easier to pour a small amount of liquid detergent composition onto a stain,
spread the
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composition with the spreading region (80) and scrub with the scrubbing region
(110) without
the customer having to change his grip. Suitable spouts (130) include an
outcrop from the rim
(170) and wall, or may optionally comprise a hole in the wall, preferably
close to the opening. In
a preferred embodiment, the pretreatment cup (10) includes a baffle (180),
adjacent to the spout
(130). Such baffles (180) split the opening (40) into two or more sections
comprising a fill
opening (42) and a spout opening (44). The baffle (180) helps the customer to
metre the required
dose of liquid detergent composition onto the stain, without spilling excess
liquid detergent
composition.
The exterior wall surface (60) of the pretreatment cup (10) may also comprise
a gripping region
(190). The gripping region (190) may be selected from: an indented region, a
raised region, a
textured region, or a combination thereof. The gripping region (190) guides
the customer to hold
the pretreatment cup (10) is such a manner, that pouring the liquid detergent
composition,
spreading the liquid detergent composition, scrubbing with the liquid
detergent composition, and
mixtures thereof, become intuitive for the customer.
Differentiation of the pretreating regions:
It has been surprisingly discovered that emphasizing the pretreatment benefits
of the pretreatment
cup (10) encourages the customer to use the pretreatment cup (10) for
pretreating fabric stains.
Therefore, a pretreating region selected from: a spreading region (80), a
scrubbing region (120),
and mixtures thereof, is differentiated from at least part of the remaining
combined area of the
exterior base surface (50) and the exterior wall surface (60) by a difference
in: material, colour,
translucency, surface texture, a line, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the
pretreating region is
differentiated from at least part of the remaining combined area of the
exterior base surface (50)
and the exterior wall surface (60) by a difference in: material, colour,
translucency, a line, and
mixtures thereof. More preferably, the pretreating region is differentiated
from at least part of the
remaining combined area of the exterior base surface (50) and the exterior
wall surface (60) by a
difference in: colour, translucency, and mixtures thereof.
For greater emphasis, the pretreating region can be differentiated from at
least part of the
remaining combined area of the exterior base surface (50) and the exterior
wall surface (60) by at
least two differences selected from differences in: material, colour,
translucency, surface texture,
a line, and mixtures thereof.
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Preferably, the pretreating region is differentiated from at least 25%,
preferably 50%, more
preferably 75% of the remaining combined area of the exterior base surface
(50) and the exterior
wall surface (70).
It is believed that such differentiation helps to guide the customer to
intuitively select the correct
surface for use in pretreating. Surprisingly, the effect is greater when at
least part of the
pretreatment cup is opaque. In particular, when at least part of a pretreating
region selected from
the group consisting of: a spreading region (80), a scrubbing region (110),
and mixtures thereof,
is opaque, more preferably when all of the pretreating region is opaque. A
material is defined as
"opaque" when the material has a measured translucency of less than 30%,
preferably less than
20%, more preferably less than 10% (using the method enclosed herein for
measuring
transparency/translucency). A material is defined as "transparent" when the
material has a
measured translucency of greater than 50%, preferably greater than 60%, more
preferably greater
than 70%, most preferably greater than 80%.
For similar reasons, if both a spreading region (80) and a scrubbing region
(110) are present, the
spreading region (80) can be differentiated from the scrubbing region (110)
by: a difference in
material, a difference in colour, a difference in translucency, a difference
in surface texture, a
line, and mixtures thereof. The scrubbing protrusions (120) of the scrubbing
region (110)
typically also have a different pattern from that of the spreading protrusions
(90) of the spreading
region (80). The scrubbing protrusions (120) are preferably oriented
differently from the
spreading protrusions (90), or are a different shape, or have both a different
orientation and a
different shape. It is also believed that such a pretreatment cup leads to an
increased perception
by the customer that the liquid detergent composition and the pretreatment cup
are effective
together for pretreating stains, even hydrophobic stains such as grease. While
the scrubbing
protrusions (120) and the spreading protrusions (90) are preferably made from
the same material,
they can be also be made from different materials, for example, having
different hardness. In
such embodiments, the scrubbing protrusions (120) can be made from a more
deformable
material that can deform over the fabric during pretreating. Such deformable
materials are gentler
on the fabric during scrubbing. Suitable materials include: thermoplastic
elastomers, rubbers, and
mixtures thereof. Thermoplastic elastomers are preferred.
Spreading region:
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The pretreatment cup may comprise a spreading region (80) located on a surface
selected from
the group consisting of: the exterior base surface (50), the exterior wall
surface (60), and
mixtures thereof. For ease of handling, the spreading region (80) is
preferably at least partially
located on the exterior base surface (50). Preferably, the spreading region
(80) is located on the
exterior base surface (50). The spreading region may be any suitable shape,
though circular and
oval shapes are preferred. While the spreading region may be flat, with the
exception of the
spreading protrusions (90), a small curvature is preferred for spreading the
liquid detergent
composition over the stained part of the fabric. In addition, a small
curvature helps to smooth out
the fabric and remove folds during pretreating. However, it is preferable that
the curvature is not
so great that the spreading region behaves partially like a wiper, such that
the curvature wipes the
liquid laundry detergent composition thinly or unevenly over the stain.
Preferably, the spreading
region (80) has a curvature such that when the pretreatment cup is positioned
with the centre of
mass of the spreading region (80) on a flat non-deformable surface (such as a
table), the
pretreatment cup can be tilted a maximum of 45 , preferably a maximum of 30 ,
more preferably
a maximum of 15 before the spreading region is no longer in contact with the
non-deformable
surface. Preferably, the spreading region (80) has no sharp changes in
curvature (such as a step).
The centre of mass of the spreading region is calculated using the formula:
R = fp(r)rdV (1)
fp(r)dV
The spreading region (80), if present, comprises 1 or more spreading
protrusions (90). Preferably,
the spreading region (80) comprises at least 2, more preferably at least 5
spreading protrusions
(90). The spreading region (80) can comprise any number of spreading
protrusions (90), though
less than 50, preferably less than 40, more preferably less than 30 are
preferred. The spreading
protrusions (90) are preferably selected from the group consisting: of lines,
dots, and mixtures
thereof. If lines are present, they can be straight or curved. They can be
from 2 mm to 40 mm,
preferably from 3 mm to 25 mm, more preferably from 4 mm to 5 mm in length.
The width of
the lines can be from 0.2 mm to 4 mm, preferably from 0.5 mm to 3 mm, more
preferably from
0.8 mm to 2 mm in width. The lengths are measured along the backbone of the
line. Preferably,
the lines do not connect to form a closed region. If dots are present, they
can be any shape, but
are preferably circular or oval in shape. The dots can have a width of from
0.2 mm to 5 mm,
preferably from 0.5 mm to 4 mm, more preferably from 1 mm to 3 mm. Such
spreading
protrusions (90) do not result in the liquid laundry detergent composition
being restricted under
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the spreading region, when the pretreatment cup is used for spreading the
liquid detergent
composition over a stain. Suitable lines are exemplified in figures 3, 5, 6,
and 7. Suitable dots are
exemplified in figures 4, 6, and 7.
The spreading protrusions (90) are preferably arranged in a pattern selected
from the group
consisting of: radial, concentric, spiral, or mixtures thereof. A radial
pattern is most preferred.
While the central point (100) of the pattern is preferably located at the
centre of mass of the
spreading region (80), the central point (100) of the pattern can be located
at any suitable point
on the spreading region (80). The resultant distribution of spreading
protrusions (90) helps to
gently distribute the liquid detergent composition uniformly over the stain.
For ease of manufacture, the spreading region, preferably including the
spreading protrusions
(90), can be made from one material. Preferably, the material comprises
polypropylene. More
preferably, the spreading region is made from polypropylene. However, in other
embodiments,
the spreading protrusions (90) can be made from a different material from the
rest of the
spreading region (80).
If the spreading protrusions (90) are too flexible, flicking of the liquid
detergent composition
may occur during use. Therefore, the spreading protrusions (90) preferably are
made from a
material having a hardness, as measured on the Rockwell scale (ISO 2039-2), of
from 50 to 150.
The spreading protrusions (90) are made from a material having a hardness that
is more
preferably from 60 to 100, and most preferably from 65 to 85. For a similar
reason, it is preferred
that the spreading protrusions (90) have a height from the exterior base
surface (50) of from 0.2
mm to 4mm, preferably from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm In addition, such patterns gently
smooth out and
deform the fibrous structure of the fabric being treated, and help spread the
liquid detergent
composition uniformly over the stain.
Scrubbing region:
The pretreatment cup (10) may also comprise a scrubbing region (110), wherein
the scrubbing
region (110) comprises scrubbing protrusions (120). The scrubbing protrusions
(120) preferably
have a height of from 0.2 mm to 4mm, more preferably from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm.
Having both a
spreading region and a scrubbing region encourages more customers to pretreat
using a liquid
detergent composition.
To avoid the scrubbing region (110) affecting spreading of the liquid
detergent composition by
the spreading region (80), the scrubbing region (110) is preferably located on
a different plane to
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the spreading region (80). In a preferred embodiment, the scrubbing region
(110) may be located
on the exterior wall surface (60), while the spreading region (80) is located
on the exterior base
surface (50). In another embodiment, both the spreading region (80) and the
scrubbing region
(110) are located on the exterior base surface (50), with the exterior base
surface (50) curved
such that the scrubbing region (110) is located on a different plane to the
spreading region (80).
In yet another embodiment, the exterior base surface (50) is divided into two
connected surfaces
which are angled relative to each other, with the scrubbing region (110)
located onto one surface,
and the spreading region (80) located onto the other surface, such that the
two regions are located
on different planes.
The scrubbing region (80) is preferably at least partially located on the
exterior periphery (70),
since many customers prefer to use the exterior periphery (70) to apply
greater pressure while
scrubbing.
To simplify use, and for easy of manufacture, the spreading region (80) and
scrubbing region
(110) may be connected together. In a preferred embodiment, the spreading
region (80) and
scrubbing region (110) may contact each other at the exterior periphery (70).
For ease of manufacture the scrubbing protrusions (120) are preferably made
from the same
material as the spreading protrusions (90). Even more preferred, the entirety
of the scrubbing
region (110) and the spreading region (80), preferably including the scrubbing
protrusions (120)
and the spreading protrusions (90), are made from the same material.
Preferred scrubbing protrusions (120) include: lines, dots, and mixtures
thereof. Preferably, the
scrubbing protrusions (120) have a pattern with a parallel orientation.
Preferably, the pattern is
selected from the group consisting of: one or more lines, one or more curves,
and mixtures
thereof.
In other embodiments, a spreading region (80) is present and no scrubbing
region (110) is
present. Such embodiments are particularly suited for delicate fabrics such as
silk, satin, and
rayon, where vigorous scrubbing may damage the fibres or the fabric weave.
Methods:
A) Transparency/translucency measurements:
The translucency of a material is measured using the following procedure,
using an X-Rite SP-64
Spectrophotometer:
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1) Cut out a piece of a relatively flat portion of the bottle. The piece must
be able to fit into
the base calibration portion (also known as the 'shoe' of the X-Rite SP-64
Spectrophotometer. Clean the sample with a lint free cloth, taking care not to
scratch the
surfaces.
2) Calibrate the X-Rite SP-64 Spectrophotometer, using the "White reference"
and "Black
reference", following the procedure in the manual.
3) Select the "Opacity" option from the menu of the X-Rite SP-64
Spectrophotometer, and
measure the opacity of the sample, using the "8mm" aperture size: following
the relevant
procedure in the instruction manual, take a reading over the Black spot on the
shoe, and
then a reading over the White spot on the shoe. Repeat the measurement twice,
and
average the three readings to give the "% opacity".
4) The % translucency is calculated as: 100 - % opacity.
The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be understood as being
strictly limited to
the exact numerical values recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each
such dimension is
intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally equivalent range
surrounding that
value. For example, a dimension disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean
"about 40 mm".
